Hello all,
this is a re-write with a better title of my German post which I
unfortunately cannot edit anymore.
I need to read data from an ABB "B23 111-101" meter which is accessible
via an IR-interface on its left side. This IR-interface is configured to
M-Bus, 2400 Bd & Address 9 (arbitrary number).
For reading from that IF I am using an IR Read-/Write Head from Weidmann
Elektronik which incorporates an FDTI chip and the IR TX/RX components
and interfaces to the RPI via USB.
The IR-head works, I could try that out on a smart-meter with the
metal-ringed LED-eye on its front. However, when trying to read from the
ABB-meter I get no reaction at all from the ABB-component.
The RPI would have the libmbus-library from rscada
(https://github.com/rscada/libmbus) for doing the M-Bus interface.
Installation went well and if I try sending against a white sheet of
paper I can "read" the reflected TX-signal.
As no reactions came from the ABB-meter I am now already down to working
on a laptop with a terminal, sending out the data directly.
Current trial, sending of the RWG_UD2-telegram for reading from the
meter:
0x10, 0x5B, 0x09, 0x64, 0x16
0x10 = Start
0x5B = REQ_UD2
0x09 = Adress
0x64 = Checksum (=0x5b + 0x09)
0x16 = Ende
Reaction from the meter: none.
Again: sending against a white sheet of paper I see the reflected
IR-data being displayed in the terminal.
Any idea about what may be going wrong here?
Do I need any kind of wake-up sequence? I didn't find anything on the
looking at the protocol.
Also as a side-note: anyone any info how the TX- and RX-"LED"s are
aligned in the meter? TX=Top, RX= Bottom or vice-versa?
Thanks a lot & cheers
Moadl

You can check the allignment of the LEDs with a Digitalcamera (usally
smartphone cam is good enough). Send data and watch the leds trough the
cam (put on video mode). You should see a "flickering" light as the cam
can see the infrared signal. The LED flickering is the TX Led, the other
must be RX then. I use this to check if remote controls are working or
not :-) ....
As i also have s smartmeter (from electricity company) mymust be enabled
first by sending a "blink code" to the device. Unfortanlty i didn´t get
the code for my meter. But the guy that came to read it out has the code
and activted it for me. Now i can read it out but he already told me
that the activation must be redone after some days. So it will not last
for long.
I use the data for my smarthome (as the meter has no other interface).

Hello Armin,
yes, the smart-phone video is something that i also do pretty
frequently. 8o)
On the IR-head I also see where the data is coming out.
However as Murphy is also in the game, the meter is installed in a
cabinet where one would need a rubber-mobile to get in both with the
IR-head and the mobile.
From these tries I could see that my TX-head is blinking into the
ABB-meter, however I cannot see anything coming back. Whether this is
down to the meter not reacting or me not being able to see it with the
mobile is something that I cannot guarantee. My guess is the meter keeps
silent.
The ABB-meter was purchased freely from authorised whole-sale and not
from any electricity company. The normal ACE...-meters are reacting
properly when "talking" to them... 8o(
Cheers
Moadl

Hello all,
as usual on "nothing works" it was just a small item.
The imporant bit on the communication is the parity.
The M-Bus IR-interface on the ABB B23 requires:
- certain baud-rate (can be selected in meter)
- address (can be set in meter)
- 8 Data-Bits
- Even parity (!)
- 1 Stop-Bit
If that is correctly set then it replies to the interface.
Also for completeness, the RX-side on the meter is on the bottom of the
IF, the TX-side on the top.
Cheers
Moadl